A Tale In Ikebukuro
by momo7902
Summary: Ikebukuro is a town filled with all sorts of different people and beings, but what happens when a misfortunate soul gets tangled up in the darkness of gangs, liars, and students? Action/Romance, somewhat Izaya/OC, slight Shizuo/OC
1. Visitor In Town

**_Disclaimer: I do NOT own Durarara! I only own the OC(s) in this fanfic of mine._**

**A/N: I've had this idea in my head for ages, and I hope you enjoy it. I just happened to have a dream about this and then bam, I decided to type it. I noticed a lot of people were doing this idea, and I hope mines isn't bad, but it won't be fully original when it comes to something like the idea of the story and stuff. I also hope I don't make any of the characters OOC (which I'm not _too_ worried about) or make my character Mary Sue, that's what I'm scared about. If I make her Mary Sue I'll never forgive myself! This is an action/romance story, not sure about the couple yet. I hope you enjoy, please leave positive reviews (the last thing I want is people leaving so many negative reviews, that'll make me shameful and delete my story)  
>Please Enjoy The Story, Have Fun~<strong>

**Summary: Ikebukuro is a town filled with all sorts of different people and beings, but what happens when a misfortunate soul gets tangled up in the darkness of gangs, liars, and students? Action/Romance, somewhat Izaya/OC, slight Shizuo/OC**

**Note #1: Rated T for violence, blood, swearing, suggestive themes ect. I'm debating on whether this is going to be something like an OC coupling between Izaya and Shizuo or not. (it won't be both if it is.) Takes place a bit after episode 12**

**Note #2: I'm working on another story which has about two or three more chapters, just to warn you**

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><p><strong>A Tale In Ikebukuro<br>By Momo7902**

**Chapter 1:  
>Visitor In Town<strong>**  
><strong>

**Kanra has joined the chat rooms**

**Kanra: Good Evening!**

**Setton: Hey**

**Tanaka Taro: Hello**

**Kanra: Have you guys been outside, the weather is awful out there... (`~`)**

**Tanaka Taro: Yeah, I was walking home and it started pouring buckets of rain. Though the sidewalks weren't as crowded because of it, so I guess it was a good thing...**

**Kanra: I prefer the sun.**

**Setton: Let's not argue about the weather guys. How was your day, Kanra-san?**

**Kanra: Decent. I was snooping around the Internet and noticed that a lot more people have been moving to Ikebukuro. It's been a week and half a thousand people have moved here. Maybe rumors have been spreading around Japan fast, so a lot of people just suddenly want to come here.**

**Setton: I don't see what's so appealing about a town filled with gangs, crazy bikers, and other things**

**Kanra: What sorts of 'other' things Setton? You mean like certain types of people?**

**Setton: I'm sure you know what I mean, Kanra-san**

**Kanra: You don't have to sound so cold when you say it... (T^T)**

**Mari-Dono has joined the chat rooms**

**Kanra: Speaking of certain types of people.**

**Hours Later  
>Nishiguchi Exit in Ikebukuro...<strong>

Ikebukuro Station wasn't as crowded as she had expected it to be, probably because it was raining. But she thought that popular towns like this would _always_ be bustling with people bad or good. She guessed that made it easier for her to get around without bumping into a bunch of weirdos and jerks.

She sighed, tightly clutching the handle bar to her brown suitcase. It didn't take her long to realize that her shoulder length cherry red hair with disheveled bangs stood out from all the other Ikebukurians with black and brown hair. _I guess it was a bad idea to dye my hair,_ she thought, placing her hand on her head as she tried to press stray strains down, dropping her suitcase in the process. She wore white skinny jeans with a mint colored sweatshirt which fit tightly on her (though she didn't have anything to flaunt because she wasn't that curvy).

Watanabe Mariko, a nineteen year old girl stood by herself near the West Gate Exit of Ikebukuro (Or commonly known as 'Nishguchi Exit'). She didn't really know her way around town, the only map she had was on her phone which wasn't getting much reception in the station. Mariko sighed once more, gripping her suitcase as she walked up the steps and out from underground, just to see a town soaked in water.

Looking at the town in it's current state was a bit of a let down._ If I had come at night, I'm sure this place would be filled with all sorts of things,_ she thought. Instead of a town filled with gangs and people, she saw a town with barely anyone on the sidewalks, just cars that sped down the slippery roads.

She regret not taking her umbrella with her, which was back in Kyoto with her dad. Mariko walked down the sidewalk, the water soaking her hair and clothes as she looked at her phone which was getting blasted with rain, feeling as if hard rocks were smacking against her skull. She prayed that her items weren't wet in this cheep suitcase she bought, but she wouldn't be surprised if they were.

Mariko stopped to looked up at the big buildings with amazement. She's never been in a big city before. Kyoto wasn't exactly like Ikebukuro. It was calm and quiet like Okinawa, and she didn't like that.

Deciding to gaze at the buildings later, she continued to walk down the sidewalk, wondering where the apartment was. People stared as they walked by a red head dragging a brown bag with no umbrella or hood, wearing bright colors as she struggled to get down the street without falling in the rain. _Maybe I chose the wrong day to come here, it's raining so hard I might get sick,_ she thought. Mariko shook her head. _There's no time to be thinking about such negative things at the moment. I'm here aren't I, and I'm looking forward to seeing my Mom after what seems like forever._

Mariko smiled, trying to stay happy as she walked down the sidewalk, finally reaching a somewhat decent apartment complex. Mariko looked down at her phone, seeing as it was the right location as she walked up to the second floor. She inhaled a big gulp of air, knocking on the door as she waited for someone to answer.

_How long has it been since I last saw my mother?_ After the divorce she hasn't seen her mom in about twelve years (they got in divorce when she was seven). _I wonder if she'll recognize me?_ The door opened and Mariko smiled weakly as she looked at her mother who seemed to be in her mid 50's now. She was still wearing her pajamas (just a lilac colored shirt with gray sweat pants.)

Mariko is disappointed to see that her mom was wondering if this was her daughter or not. Mariko frowned, and apparently that got her mom to remember as a big grin spread across her cheeks. "I can't believe you dyed your hair," her mom said as she gave Mariko a hug. "It's nice to see you again, mom," Mariko said.

Her mom let her inside and pointed out where her room was. Mariko walked over to see a simple square room with a tan carpet and white walls. A single bed was already there in the corner of the room with bright pink covers and a white pillow. Directly across from it was a brown dresser with nothing on it, along with a skinny closet. There was a window next to her bed with tan curtains which were open as the sunlight beamed in her tiny bedroom. Mariko exhaled and began putting her clothes away. Then she placed pictures of her and her dad on the dresser as she made sure everything was set neatly on top. After she got pictures of her dad and her friends on the dresser, she set her laptop down on her bed.

It took her about an hour to get everything set and ready. When she finished, she didn't feel like talking at all, she just wanted to sleep. _Not that Mom would care if I ignored her,_ Mariko thought, staring sadly at the ceiling. The relationship between her and her mother was dysfunctional, even when she was a child they never really talked to one another. And now that it's been years since they've seen each other, things might be really awkward between them.

_Doesn't feel like anything has changed, I'm just by myself like back in Kyoto,_ she thought, turning to her side as she cuddled up against her covers and took a nap.

**Continued from the chat earlier...**

**Mari-Dono has joined the chat rooms**

**Kanra: Speaking of certain types of people.**

**Tanaka Taro: Oh, a new member of the Dollars. What a coincidence...**

**Setton: Especially since we were talking about a bunch of people moving here. How's it going 'Mari-Dono'?**

**Mari-Dono: I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation, I'm pretty new to this so I really don't know what I'm doing.**

**Tanaka Taro: Well if you need help with anything you can tell us. I'm Tanaka Taro**

**Kanra: What's this? You trying to pick up the ladies Tanaka-san? I'm so jealous~**

**Tanaka Taro: (^-^;)**

**Setton: Either way, what brings you here Mari-Dono?**

**Mari-Dono: Oh, I'm on the subway train right now and I just joined this website. So I figured that I'd try and 'figure out' how it works lol.**

**Setton: Oh a subway, where you heading?**

**Mari-Dono: Ikebukuro**

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><p><strong>I hope that the story isn't seriously boring or that you're interested to see the things I'll be doing. I know it started off a little long &amp; slow but it'll get really interesting I promise. I'm just so nervous, please review positively and Stay Tune~<strong>


	2. Bright Lights

**A/N: Alright, this is the chapter where some things begin. Mariko will be meeting people and crazy things will be happening. So please enjoy the chapter, review, spread the news about my story, and enjoy it with friends. That's what I do every time I read a fanfic about Durarara! because I love it. (^o^) Enjoy~**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2:<br>Bright Lights **

_This is it, what I've been waiting for since I got here. A day out in the city,_ Mariko thought as she stared at herself in the mirror. Her red hair was straight like always as it rested on her shoulders. She wore a black and red stripped tank top with string like straps. She also wore a red skirt that went to her thighs with black combat boots (It's her style to wear an outfit like that). Mariko even put on red lipstick (which was a little faded) as she slipped her thin black jacket on. She left the front open so she could show off her tank top.

She smiled, feeling excited about going out into the big city as she walked over to the door. "I'll be back later Mom," Mariko said, digging in her jacket pocket to make sure that her apartment key was still there. "You're not going out wearing that are you Mariko?"

Mariko groaned, turning to her mom with a disappointed expression. "Mom, I'm nineteen. I've graduated out of high school already and I'm making plans about college. I'm practically an adult."

Before her mom could retort against that statement, Mariko walked out, swearing under her breath as she shut the door. _What's the big deal if I go out wearing this or not? I'm not naked, besides this is what people are wearing and it's a really cute outfit._

Deciding to forget that conversation a few seconds ago ever happened, Mariko walked down the steps and onto the sidewalk, watching as it grew more and more crowded. People shoved by her, causing her to go all over the place as Mariko tried to catch her footing.

What Mariko quickly noticed was that most of the people outside had friends to talk to as she was walking by herself like a loser. _I should have invited one of my friends to come with me, then we could of rented an apartment together and not have to deal with my Mom. I'm so stupid!_ Mariko smacked her forehead with her hand as she closed her eyes and paused to emphasize how stupid she was. _I don't want to turn around and go home though, that would be embarrassing._

Mariko shoved her way to a wall as she leaned against it, looking down at her boots with melancholy. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders as she pulled her cell phone out from her pocket. Mariko stared at a text message that was recently sent to her. It read, 'I'm glad you decided to come to Ikebukuro. I can't wait to meet you, Mari-Mari.'

She giggled at the little nickname he gave her. The text message was from a friend of hers in Ikebukuro, but to be honest she didn't really know who this man or woman was (she hoped it was a man around her age). They've been texting her for the past three months, and she's grown a liking to them. It's part of the reason why she moved here, she wanted to meet this mystery person. Mariko was filled with joy, she couldn't wait to meet this guy/girl that she liked so much. Mariko held the small silver phone to her chest as she closed her eyes and imagined what they looked like, blushing a bit as she thought of a handsome boy that was too shy to say that they liked her. _That'll be the day,_ she thought, clutching the phone tightly in her hands as she sighed.

All of a sudden, Mariko heard a big boom up ahead as her eyelids shot open. Most people continued to walk down the sidewalk like nothing was going on, a few crowded something Mariko couldn't see. Another loud boom appeared as a cloud of dust arose in the night sky.

Mariko stared in confusion, wondering what was going on as she ran over to the crowd, trying to shove her way through. People were talking to themselves as they stared at something, and she wanted to know. _What's all the commotion? People aren't really caring about all this crashing going on right now? What's happening?_

The booms continued as she finally got through the crowd. When she did, she regretted it instantly as she was literally thrown from out of the crowd and into the action, falling on her knees and her hands as she just sat there for a second, hoping to be invisible so whatever was going on didn't involve her. When nothing was happening, she stood up and brushed the dirt off her skirt. Mariko looked up and right away she saw a guy sprinting in a fast speed down the sidewalk. He had a black jacket with fur on the edges of the sleeve and the hood as he dashed away. But for a moment his reddish brown eyes met her blackish brown eyes as he quickly jerked his head away and sprinted off.

She wondered what he was running from when finally something hit her. More like something crashed into her as she fell to the ground, using her arms for support as she shielded her head. Mariko landed on the ground as she yelped in pain, her eyes shut tight.

"Damn it!" a male voice shouted as everything went silent around Mariko. _What did I just do? _she thought, keeping her eyes closed, not wanting to see who bumped into her. _I bet everyone is staring right now. This is so embarrassing, I hope I didn't mess anything up._

Mariko decided to open her eyes, slowly lifting her head to look up at the guilty person who had bumped into her.

She didn't know what to say or do as she stared wide eyed at a man with a hostile expression on his face. He looked down at her, his messy blond hair blowing in the wind slightly. What Mariko noticed the most about him was that he was wearing a bartender's outfit. _What's a bartender doing all the way out here?_ Mariko thought.

That 'hostile' expression on his face quickly vanished into a blank face as he looked down at her. "You OK?" he asked, his voice deep. Mariko stood up, her left wrist throbbing from landing on it wrong as she held it. She nodded, glancing down at her feet. "Sorry about that, you just sort of fell out of no where and I didn't see you," he said. She nodded again, trying not to make eye contact with him. There was an awkward silence as people continued with their daily lives and walked by the two.

"No I'm sorry," Mariko said, bowing her head. "I didn't really know what was going on, and then I was just shoved into the commotion because I wasn't paying attention. I saw you chasing some guy, I didn't mean to mess you up," she said.

The bartender started to walk away. "Don't sweat it. It was just an accident," he said, raising one hand as he walked away. Mariko felt like an idiot for being so shy, she usually wasn't the shy type, but after bumping into him and making him mess up on whatever he was doing... she felt like she died inside.

Mariko walked down the sidewalk, looking for a place to sit down and take a breather after that incident. She had no clue where she was going, she was just following the crowd as she silently made her way through town. Mariko looked up at the bright buildings in amazement as she stared at it's beauty. She pulled out her cell phone and took a quick picture. She stared at it and smiled to herself. Mariko pressed the save button and put it back in her pocket.

But as she did that simple task, she felt hands on her head as someone played around with her hair. "Do you think she's trying to cosplay?" a female voice asked. "I doubt it, she probably just dyed her hair a different color to stand out from the crowd," a male said.

Turning around, Mariko saw a boy and a girl looking at her quizzically. The girl was wearing a kimono like dress that went down to her ankles, nearly touching her black boots. Her hair was braided into a bun and put into a black artsy looking hat. The boy next to her was wearing a baby blue sweatshirt with faded brown pants, his hair cut like Gin Ichimaru's from Bleach. Mariko wondered what they wanted as she fixed her hair. "Can I help you?" Mariko asked.

"Are you cosplaying someone from a manga or something?" The girl asked. Mariko groaned. _I knew this hair color was going to cause some sort of commotion._ "I'm not," she said.

"See I told you!" the boy said.

"May I ask who you guys are?" Mariko asked. The two looked at her as they smiled. "I'm Erika," the girl said. "I'm Walker," the boy said. Mariko sighed, trying to straighten her outfit up as she itched the back of her head.

"I'm Watanabe Mariko," she said. The two gasped, Walker clapping his hands together in approval as Erika looked at her strangely. "You'd be a perfect cosplay for Mariko on Elfen Lied. If your hair was pink you'd look like Mariko spot on!" Erika shouted.

Walker shook his head. "She's too old to be Mariko, but I agree with the pink hair part. If you dyed your hair pink you could look like_ anyone_ on that anime and manga!"

Mariko giggled at their comments, blushing a bit as she closed her eyes. "Erika! Walker! Are you coming or not?" another male shouted from the distance. "Coming Dotachin," Erika shouted back. They waved at Mariko as they ran away into the crowd. Mariko smiled to herself,_ They seem like nice people._

Mariko yawned, covering her mouth as she looked at the time. She decided to go home and continue her journey the next day._ I'm sure their are a lot more people I'll meet tomorrow._

**...**

**Kanra has joined the chat rooms**

**Mari-Dono: Hello, Kanra-san**

**Kanra: Where is everyone?**

**Mari-Dono: Sleeping, it's really late, I should be going to bed myself**

**Kanra: Oh, you're going to leave me alone? I feel so down now...**

**Mari-Dono: Oh, I can talk to you, I wasn't really going to bed yet.**

**Kanra: Tell me something, why did you come to Ikebukuro anyways?**

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><p><strong>I hope you read the next chapter. I know this one was crappy, but it gets better. Stay Tune~<strong>


	3. Turmoil of Ikebukuro

**A/N: I hate math class! It's just back to back torture again and again, constant homework, science mixed in with it, too much work! *head explodes*  
>Please enjoy this chapter, I have to say, it took me awhile to think of a story plot, but I finally thought of one, so I hope you love the story, have fun~<br>Sorry it took so long, my Internet access was cut off after my parents didn't pay the comcast bill, so I had to wait for them to pay for it so I could post this chapter.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3:<br>Turmoil of Ikebukuro**

Mariko awoke in her bed the next day, sprawled on her covers as the sunlight beamed in her room, wind blowing through the open window her mom opened when she came in to check on her. Mariko's eye twitched as she lifted a hand to rub her it. She yawned, sitting up straight as she stretched her arms in the air, looking out the window already seeing a few people walking down the street.

It took her a few minutes to get off her bed (she pulled an all nighter and stayed up 'till 3:00 A.M.) as her feet slowly reached the plushy carpet. Mariko rose from her bed and checked the time. _11:00 A.M.,_ she thought, looking at herself as she gazed down at her pajamas. A neon green tank top with gray shorts.

After finally waking up from her slumber mode, she walked out of her room and into the kitchen, just to find a note on the refrigerator. Mariko read it out loud. "Good morning sweetheart, I had to go to work this morning, and I probably won't be back until later in the evening, sorry I couldn't stay for you. There's some money on the counter for lunch, don't spend it all. Love Mom," she mumbled. Mariko placed the note on the tan counter as she stood near the big patio window.

Mariko walked outside and stood near the edge of the patio, leaning over the metal rail as she stared down at the green grass. Mariko wondered why she came to Ikebukuro, nothing amazing has really happened, so why not go home. Then a thought ran through her brain as she dashed back to her bedroom and grabbed her cell phone from the dresser.

She'd just gotten a text message. It read, 'Mari-Mari, are you awake?'. Mariko blushed to herself as a soft smile curved on her lips. 'Yeah, I'm awake now. How are you doing?' she responded.

A message suddenly came back to her. She gasped, surprised to see an immediate reply.

'I'm doing fine. I see you're awake now, I hope I get to see you sometime today. I've been hoping to meet you.' Mariko's smile widened as she continued to text an answer to him. 'You don't have to hope, I can meet you today. Where would you like to meet?' she asked.

Now they weren't responding to her message as she waited for about fifteen minutes, just sitting on her bed. _Why do they always do this? They talk to me and just vanish for the next few hours,_ Mariko thought. Finally giving up on waiting, she got up and made her bed up(to avoid any arguments from her mom). Mariko changed into a white t-shirt that had a red number one on the front. She then slipped into her tan capris and white sneakers as she brushed her hair down.

Mariko looked at herself in the mirror, trying to look her best as she grabbed her keys and her cell phone, placing the items in her pocket. She then grabbed the money from the counter and walked out of the door. She shut it silently before walking down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

It wasn't as crowded as last night, which made Mariko happy because it meant she could move around easier without bumping into anyone. The place was nice to walk around when you knew (or at least thought) that nothing bad was going to happen.

Suddenly, Mariko got a text message from that mystery boy. Mariko smiled brightly as she looked down at the message.

'I want to surprise you when we meet. You'll know it's me. I'm the tall handsome young man with a charming gaze in his eyes,' he said. Mariko giggled, blushing to see that it was a male. _That's great,_ Mariko thought._ Now it means that I can love him and not feel weird about it. I'm so happy..._

Mariko closed her eyes and bowed her head over the phone as she clutched it tightly. _Just wait, one day I'll meet this man who seems like the love of my life. I can't wait to see how handsome he is._ Suddenly realizing she was standing in the middle of the sidewalk with her eyes closed, Mariko shot her eyes open and rushed down the sidewalk, checking the time. _12:00 P.M., that's still time to hang out around town and sink in the scenery._

A loud growl rang in Mariko's ears. She placed her hands over her gut and looked down with a disturbed expression. Mariko then looked left and right, making sure no one heard her hungry stomach as she sighed nervously.

_Great, I'm hungry and I don't know where to eat. I barely know any of the buildings here,_ Mariko thought. She walked down the sidewalk, looking up at all the buildings, figuring it wouldn't be hard to find at least a _one_ fast food place. In a big city like this you could find anything.

Mariko had to admit, this place was nothing like Kyoto. When she was in Kyoto, it was just an easy farm life. Very quiet, no problems... it was just peaceful. Her mom craved for the city life, her dad just wanted to settle down. It was part of the reasons for the divorce. Looking back at it now, Mariko just thought it was stupid, the reasons they broke up. It just started off as simple arguments, then it got worse and worse. When her mom hit her dad right in front of the young seven year olds eyes, she knew everything would be over, even at her age she could comprehend what was going on. She would cry and cry, praying they'd stay together. But they didn't. Her mom left without any protest to Ikebukuro where she lived a lonely life. As her dad staid in Kyoto and lived a lonely life as well. Except the only difference was that Mariko was with her dad, while her mother was all alone.

Though, she begged to go to Ikebukuro and live with her mom (even though she knew it would hurt her dad badly). She didn't like having a normal life, she wanted something different for once. _Wasn't it common human nature to wish for something out of the ordinary?_ Mariko would think. Kyoto just wasn't exciting enough, she craved for the city.

_And to think, I had said something so mean to my father before I left,_ Mariko thought, her eyes shaking.

Suddenly, a flyer was flung into her face. Mariko looked up and saw a giant black man standing right in front of her with a somewhat friendly expression (probably the best friendly expression he could conjure up). _What the heck?_ Mariko thought.

"Long time no see," he said, even though they've never met before. "Um... hello," Mariko stammered. "You hungry. Eat at Russia Sushi. It's good, it's cheap," he said. Mariko smiled. _Great, it took too long to find a place to eat at._ Mariko grabbed the flyer from his iron grip as he pointed where this 'Russia Sushi' place is.

"Thank you," Mariko bowed, running over to the building as she walked inside. She looked at the awkward scenery as she gaped at all the things. _They weren't kidding when they said_ 'Russia' _Sushi._

Mariko took a seat at the front counter, getting on the barstool as she waited for someone to ask for her order. Mariko checked for the money in her pocket. She had 250 yen, she hoped that was enough to buy something. "Oh, I see Simon finally brought in a costumer," a man said. He was dressed in a pacifist outfit and noticeably foreign. Mariko nodded as she smiled slightly. "What can I get you?" he asked.

"Anything is good, as long as it's not over 250 yen," Mariko said. She watched as the man grew a spark in his eyes. He nodded in approval and turned as he cooked some sushi for her.

Finally, after waiting for about fifteen minutes, Mariko marveled at the artistic looking sushi he set down in front of her. "Wow!" she shouted. "What is this?"

"It's just sushi, but it's different than all those other sushi parlors you could go to. And it taste better too."

_I bet that's why you have_ soo _many costumers,_ Mariko snickered in her mind. Mariko lifted her chopsticks and broke them apart as she poked the mysterious looking food. She gulped, lifting one up as she brought it too her lips and chewed it like an old lady.

After one bite, she couldn't stop eating the delicious sushi. "This stuff taste incredible!" she said, eating the last bit of sushi on her plate (she didn't have a lot). The man set some tea down for her as she thanked him. Mariko was nice and full now, and she was positive she was going to be out of money at the end of this. _I don't think Mom will get to mad about that. It was just 250 yen,_ she thought, sipping her warm tea thoroughly.

She sighed, just holding the tea in front of her as she stared at her reflection. Mariko then heard a thump beside her as she blinked, setting the cup down as she glanced over to see a man sitting next to her. He looked a little older than her, probably in his early twenties. After staring at the man she realized who he was as she stared at him faintly. "Hey..." she said quietly. He looked over at her with an icy smile on his face. "Aren't you that guy from yesterday?" she asked.

He chuckled to himself as he played around with his fingers, the two gray rings he wore clashing together making a 'clink' noise. "That depends, I'm sure you saw a lot of people yesterday," he said.

"I know I saw you yesterday. You were being chased by that bartender guy," she said. He chuckled again, staring at her with his piercing red eyes that went through her like knives. "Bartender? I'm guessing you're new here considering you don't know Shizu-chan's name," he said.

"Well you're in luck. If you're looking for excitement or things out of the ordinary, Ikebukuro is the place to be."

"So I hear," Mariko replied, sipping some more of her tea. "What brings you here?" he asked. Mariko rested her chin on her arms as she laid on the counter. "I'm not sure if I should tell you. I mean, I just met you a few seconds ago," Mariko said. That smile didn't leave his face once as he stared into her brown eyes.

He grabbed her cup of tea and drank it as Mariko looked at him shocked. "Hey!" she shouted. Before she knew it, his face was mere inches from hers. Mariko gasped a little as she backed away. "I'm Orihara Izaya. It's a pleasure," he said, backing away from her.

Mariko fixed her hair with her hands as she pouted. "That's a weird name," she said. Izaya nodded, raising one finger. "I get that a lot. I'm Izaya Orihara, Ikebukuro's one and only Information Broker," he said. "Now tell me, who exactly are you?"

It took her awhile to respond as she rested her head on her hand. "I'm Watanabe Mariko," she said.

"Well then Mariko-kun, will you answer my question? What brings you here?" Mariko buried her face in her arms as she moaned childishly, pretending to be shy so he wouldn't ask her again. She wasn't ashamed about why she came to Ikebukuro, but she didn't want to go around sharing her life to strangers.

She could tell Izaya was staring at her, smiling she assumed. _He's obviously not going to go away,_ Mariko thought. She lifted her head and stared down at her hands as she clutched the empty cup of tea Izaya had taken from her. "I came here to see someone," she said.

"Oh, so you're living out the story of some love movie. Coming to the big city to find you're true love? That's really corny," he said. Mariko stood up, walking over to the door (after she paid the bill). "You're the one who asked," she said. Izaya chuckled as she walked out. Mariko wasn't angry about what he said, she just didn't want to talk to him. Just looking at Izaya told her that he was trouble. And that smile... it sent chills down her spine already. _I didn't realize how many weirdos lived in this town,_ Mariko thought.

Izaya trailed behind her, his hands in his pockets as he whistled some random song behind her. Mariko didn't even want to deal with him, so she turned around so she could face him directly.

"Why are you following me?" she asked. Izaya cocked his head back as he groaned. "I don't really know. I'm just sort of bored, Ikebukuro is just as boring as everywhere else if you have nothing to do," he said. Mariko gasped when he said that. _I never thought of that. No wonder things don't seem really different, I don't have anything to do._

Izaya stood in front of her, an obvious height difference as she came up to his chin. "What's wrong? You zoned out for a second," he said. Mariko shook her head and clinched her fist. "Leave me alone. The last thing I want is a weirdo following me around town," she rudely stated. "Yeah but this 'weirdo' knows everything about this town. Remember I'm an Information Broker, nothing in this town is a secret to me. If you ask me, you're probably talking to the best person in town. If you strive for excitement, entertainment, that love boy of yours, I suggest you stick around with me. Who knows, all you're problems might be solved."

Mariko scoffed as she crossed her arms. "Don't flatter yourself. As far as I can tell, you're just a regular guy on the street looking for girls to mess with," she said, continuing to walk down the sidewalk. Izaya laughed under his breath as he continued to follow her. "Nice assumption, and you almost got it right. If you keep guessing like that you might understand me completely," he said.

_He's obviously attracted to me, poor guy. My heart already belongs to someone, someone who's sweet, poetic, nice, and understands me so much-_ She cut herself off on the flattering because she noticed she was blushing, and Izaya was just staring at her with an amused expression. Mariko really wanted him to leave, but he's too stubborn to take a hint. Either that or he's staying on purpose because he knows he's starting to annoy her.

Bam! Mariko literally jumped in the air like a scared kitten as she yelped, grabbing her arms. Out of nowhere a vending machine crashed into Izaya, causing him and the object to skid across the ground.

"U-Um... Orihara-kun..? Are you OK?" she stammered. "Izaya-kun~"

Mariko looked over and saw that same bartender from yesterday. _Did he just throw that giant vending machine at him?_ Mariko looked at the bartender who seemed pissed out of his mind, and she was so confused right now.

She then glanced back over at Izaya who was cringing on the pavement grabbing his ribs. "Didn't I tell you not to come back to Ikebukuro? Huh?" he asked. Izaya stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes as he placed his hands in his pockets. "Shizu-chan, isn't this a pleasant surprise," Izaya said, smiling at him.

"Didn't I tell you never to call me that?" he shouted. "But never mind that, I'll put that aside. Right now all I want to do is beat the shit out of you," he said. "You're just as violent as ever Shizu-chan. Too bad, no matter how violent you are you can never lay a punch on me."

Izaya suddenly pulled a switchblade out of his pocket as he pointed it at the bartender. Mariko stared in fear as she wondered what was going to happen.

* * *

><p><strong>Aw, I'm so happy the Internet is back on for me, now I can type the rest of my chapters and you guys can enjoy. This chapter was sort of a run on, I'm not really proud of it. The next chapter is good though, please Stay Tune~<strong>


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